1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera device for a moving body such as a vehicle.
2. Related Background Art
In order to improve safety upon travelling of a vehicle, some devices, in which an image pick-up means such as a television camera is mounted on a vehicle to pick up images in the fields before and behind the vehicle, and various kinds of information included in the picked-up images are extracted and utilized, have been proposed.
For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 57-57760 proposes a system, which detects image series motions, i.e., the movement of the vehicle, from the fetched image signals by an optical correlation system, and generates an alarm to a driver on the basis of the distances to and the speeds of surrounding vehicles.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 1-265400 proposes a system for searching a predetermined position of a picked-up and recognized image with respect to a "road region" so as to recognize signs. In addition, many associated systems (e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Nos. 59-127200, 62-95698, and the like) have been proposed.
In the above-mentioned prior art, the camera used in an image pick-up operation is arranged at a position allowing a clear front view, e.g., in a passenger room such as "a position behind a windshield of a vehicle, which position is protected from climatic effects" or "a position on the rear surface of a rear-view mirror", or in a hood of a vehicle (near a headlight).
However, the camera arranged in the passenger room may deteriorate from an outer appearance or from driving comfort, or may narrow the field of view of a driver. Also, the camera arranged in the hood suffers from very bad environmental conditions, and may malfunction.
When the camera is arranged on the outer surface of a vehicle, e.g., on the side surface of a door or on the hood, adverse effects in various respects such as safety, design, aerodynamics, and the like may be expected.